Sheet Pan Honey Mustard Chicken and Sweet Potatoes

Sticky, tangy, caramelized chicken thighs with tender sweet potato wedges, all cooked together on one pan. The honey mustard glaze gets thick and jammy in the oven heat, coating everything in that sweet-sharp flavour. Good weeknight food, no fuss.

By TasteBuds

Recipe details

Yield
2 people
Prep time
20 minutes
Cook time
40 minutes
Total time
50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 pieces (about 1.5 lb) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, patted dry with paper towels
  • 2 medium (about 1 lb total) sweet potatoes, scrubbed, cut into 1-inch wedges
  • 3 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp whole-grain mustard
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 3 cloves garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • 1¼ tsp salt, divided
  • ½ tsp black pepper, freshly ground, divided
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme sprigs (or ½ tsp dried thyme)

Instructions

  1. Scrub 2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 lb / 450 g) under cold water, then cut each one into 1-inch wedges. Aim for roughly even thickness so they cook at the same rate. Don't stress if a few are a little chunkier.
  2. Mince 3 cloves garlic as finely as you can manage.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 tbsp whole-grain mustard, 2 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 2 tbsp olive oil (set the remaining 1 tbsp aside), and the 3 cloves minced garlic. Give it a taste. It should be tangy, a little sweet, and punchy. Set aside about 2 tablespoons of the glaze in a separate small bowl for basting later.
  4. Pat 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1.5 lb / 680 g) completely dry with paper towels. Dry skin is what gives you a properly bronzed, sticky exterior rather than a steamed one. Season all over with ¾ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper.
  5. Pour the main batch of glaze over the chicken and turn each piece to coat well, getting it under the skin too if you can. You can do this right on the sheet pan or in a bowl, whatever is easier.
  6. Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (200°C). This will take about 3 to 5 minutes depending on the model.
  7. While the air fryer heats, toss the sweet potato wedges in the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper in a bowl until evenly coated.
  8. Arrange the sweet potato wedges in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Work in batches if needed, overlapping means they steam instead of caramelize. Air fry at 400°F (200°C) for 12 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until the edges are starting to go deep orange and the cut faces have some char.
  9. Transfer the sweet potatoes to a plate and set aside. Place the glazed chicken thighs skin-side up in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Tuck 4 sprigs fresh thyme in and around the pieces. Air fry at 375°F (190°C) for 22 minutes.
  10. After 22 minutes, brush the chicken with the reserved 2 tablespoons of glaze. Return the sweet potato wedges to the basket, nestling them around the chicken. Air fry for a further 5 minutes at 375°F (190°C), until the chicken skin is deeply bronzed and crackling and the juices run clear when you pierce the thickest part with a knife.
  11. Rest everything for 3 to 4 minutes before plating. This lets the juices settle back into the chicken. Spoon any sticky drippings from the bottom of the basket over the top before serving.